He made national news after scaling a 23-story skyscraper in downtown St. Paul. Onlookers were quick to point out that he didn’t belong, doubted his ability, and questioned his mission. Others celebrated the novelty of it - cheering him on as he went. News programs and individuals around the world tuned in to observe the adventure with emotions mixed between fear for his life and inspired admiration.

This is the story of the #mprraccoon. As a coach, I am inspired by its representation of the human spirit.

Metaphorically, we get to choose who we want to be in this story. Among many, here are a few options:

• Be the onlooker: watch someone ELSE attempt something objectively risky - yet admirable, narrate the event to your friends, go about your typical day with a little more excitement as you tune into the success story of someone else on your coffee break.
• Be the protester: permit fear to overcome your day. Note to coworkers how dangerous it is for a raccoon to scale a building, search for research-based evidence to suggest his probability of failure, share your ‘correct’ opinion that a raccoon has no place on the side of a building.
• Be the rescue worker: climb alongside the raccoon - patiently observing the progress of a goal seemingly outside your control, cheer on his strong claws and trust his wisdom & autonomy, take a picture to spread the positive news - another floor climbed. And when the raccoon reaches the roof, refrain judgement & assist the raccoon to its next adventure.
• Be the raccoon: start a journey toward what calls you with a rough plan, embrace fear as you realize you cannot return to point A, climb past the onlookers and protesters with little influence on your self-belief & confidence, rest when needed & keep going even if the world tells you you do not belong. Celebrate your passion & perseverance & willingness to try something new - regardless the outcome.

Which character makes you feel most alive? Which role feels most true to you, at this time & in your current storyline? There is no right or wrong answer. One is not “better” than the next - AND. One of these characters likely calls you more than the other. One of these characters is likely your status quo - your natural tendency - which is not good nor bad, but something to observe. And at various points in your life, you may choose someone new.

Be the onlooker - seek inspiration, cheer on those you believe in, add positivity and excitement to your life and the life of those around you.

Be the protester - seek clarification, question the sense of a decision, stand firm in a previously-formed belief to maintain your current path.

Be the rescue worker - offer support & participation, trust even if you don’t have overwhelming evidence of success.

Be the raccoon - choose to follow your internal whisper, build a relationship with fear - guaranteed, seek support when needed, and experience something you (nor anyone before you) has ever done.

...

If you’re in a space, with deep desire to be the raccoon (how amazing is this metaphor? 😂) - I am here to support you. I am your rescue worker. I am your onlooker. When needed, I am your protester. And I am already, proudly, a raccoon.

Take your first step: schedule a trial session at yesandbymarin.com